'^06 [Assembly 



divided throughout the soil, so tha each lootof a plant n ay meet ; 

 with a portion of all the soluble co stituents resident in its vicinity. ; 



During the various chemical changes in the so ' gases are . | 

 evolved, which would be thrown off into the atmosphere were it | 

 not for the property of waier to absorb them, and thus detain them 

 for the use of plants. 



The motion of water down through the soil m u t cau^^ a par- ; 

 tial vacuum between particles, and thus induce the entrance of I 

 atmospheric air laden with various other gases required for vege- 

 tation, which are absorbed by the moisture resident on the sur- 

 faces of particles of soil, replacing that previously absorbed by 

 crops. j 



All these facts are readily proved by observing the increased | 



effects produced by the irrigation of meadows; thus we know that | 



watered meadows often produce five crops of grass, where, from I 

 ordinary culture, but one crop could be obtained in the season. 



Mr. Kennedy of Myermill, England, has sustained 1,000 head ] 

 of stock on 90 acres of Italian rye grass, by continued watering ; 

 and on land capable of sustaining under ordinary circumstances 

 but six sheep to the acre, he has successfully kept 56 by the ex- 

 treme dilution of small quantities of soluble manures. It should 

 not be forgotten that 100 lbs. of manures in solution in 100,000 

 gallons of water, will produce a greater amount of vegetable 

 growth, than 500 lbs. of manure in solution, in 1,000 gallons of 

 water, and simply because the greater amount of its dilution brings 

 it in contact wi h a larger number • f the roots of plants. 



It is often asserted that highly manured land is less liable to j 



suffer by drought, and as often answered that this arises from the ' 

 fact that those uho manure freely always cultivate deeply, but 



this is not true of all manures. Those of a saline character do at- j 



tract Uioisture from circulating atmosphere, and for this reason j 



we often see cellars that have been wetted with salt brine remain i 

 damp for months. 



Market gardeners often apply small streams of water between 

 the rows of celery, and keep them continually running, by which 



